Troubleshoot Your Trains — Engine or Layout?

The first thing I look at when trying to solve why a model train runs slowly or occasionally stops and judders is to identify if the problem is with your layout or a particular train.

To do this take a loco and give it a test run around all sections of the track — try not to get distracted running your train 🙂

Find the spot where you have problems and then test run all your trains over it.

Does the problem occur with the several trains or just on one particular engine?

If problems occur with multiple trains, logic dictates it’s not the locomotives but the track. Skip forward to track cleaning.

If it is just a single unit, it’s more than likely that the problem lies with that train.

Locomotive Problems

The most common issue stopping locomotives running is dirt on the wheels causing them to lose traction or fail to pick up power. Dirt on wheels is a common problem so cleaning the wheels should be done regularly. Luckily, it’s easy and quick to do.

If it’s an older locomotive, it could be dirty wheels but you might also need to oil and lubricate the gears. Again, this is something that needs doing occasionally, although not as often as cleaning the wheels, and the last post in the last link explains everything you need to know.

If you’ve done both of these and it still won’t work, there’s something broken and it needs repairing. Send it back to where you got it from, Hornby etc, or Google “model train repairs” to find a repair service if it’s not under warranty.

If you’re working in N Gauge, and especially if you’re using Graham Farish Chinese production or UK (Poole production) locos, it could be that you have a fault called ‘split-gears’. A good service shop will be able to deal with this, as with other juddering faults, but is mentioned here as it can also lead to engine burnouts which are more costly to deal with. The folks at www.ngaugesociety.com have a handy page on this very issue at http://www.ngaugesociety.com/index.php?page=split-gears

If however other engines exhibit the same stop and start symptoms then it’s likely to a problem with the track or power on or to the track. in which case the other techniques below should solve your problems.

Clean Your Tracks

If your model railway is in typical home and inhabited by children, cats and/or dogs, your miniature wonderland could be under siege from all manner of giant particles that will cause small trains any number of problems and cleaning the rails will be vital.

RJF Trains, an American dealer, points out “normal” house dust, dander, baby dust bunnies, cat hair, smoke particles and sawdust all mix with the oxidisation process that occurs when current passes between metals and can create a “truly impressive challenge”.

Grease and Grime

Goo Gone (American visitors use this link for faster delivery) is my preferred choice for cleaning particularly dirty track. This is rubbed over the track to clear particularly stubborn grease and grime that build up over time. It can either be quickly applied as mentioned below to remedy one-off problems or as RJF suggest as part of a regular cleaning schedule by fitting out a train with front and rear cleaners.

Alternatively, it may be just routine dust and dirt that builds on model railway track — be it Peco, Hornby or any other brand — over time. This can play havoc with your rolling stock wheels or interrupt the smooth flow of current to the locomotive that will bring your trains to a halt, slow down or cause them to judder.

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Again, Goo Gone (American model railroaders please click here) will work wonders here but most people (myself included) use a lint-free cloth dampened with a cleaning alcohol and then rubbed over the railheads as described here.

But be careful however not to get it on your rolling stock or scenery paintwork, just wrap the cloth around your fingertip, drip some onto it and run this over the top of the track.

(If you’re in the middle of constructing your layout, you might also have glue and paint on the track. If this is the case a track rubber – available via my shop – will make easy work of shifting it).

MRE Tip: Never use sandpaper or scouring pad – this will scratch the rails making it easier for dirt to accumulate. If you’re looking for more tips on loco cleaning, see The Top 5 Model Train Maintenance Checks.

Wonky Wiring

Lose or poor power connections will also cause all manner of problems from no movement at all to sluggish performance. This is particularly common for layouts that aren’t permanent and are regularly set up or rearranged and where the wires are regularly moved around.

Check that the wires connect to the track and to the power supply securely; pay attention to lose or tight wiring, frayed or split ends and confirm all wires are connected to the right terminals.

A Question of Length

Rounding up these 7 Tips To Will Make Your Model Train Run Smoothly is a rare but easy problem to solve.

If you’ve tried all the above and are still experiencing problems it may not be a problem with your loco or track at all but down to a question of length.

When first starting out, many people string together carriages, wagons and other rolling stock to make the longest train they can.

Locomotives don’t have infinite power and if the trains are too long they might not have enough power to pull all the carriages and wagons you’ve lined up. Alternatively, when long trains go around corners or up slopes the speed can vary across the length of the train set resulting in surging/contraction at different points with the resultant problems. This usually results in derailment rather than stopped trains but it can happen.

A final, personal, note:I spend a LOT of time testing, photographing, writing and often wrecking my own layouts researching techniques for these articles and don’t charge a penny for them. If this article is useful to you or helpful, please add a comment to say so, it gives me encouragement to continue. Thanks and happy modelling, Andy.

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One tip I have is to clean the contact area on the wheels and the pickups. I use a fibre glass brush with a small vacuum to such the debris away. For track cleaning,i find car brake/clutch cleaner very good,but has to be used carefully as it is VERY flammable!

Hi,
Is it possible for the controllers/transformers to lose power when they are getting older and does the length of the track affect the power?
I’m working in N gauge and my track is a circular one on a 32ft baseboard so the total length of the track is about 70ft. I’ve also noticed that if I run two locos on the main controller ( it’s a Powermaster with 6 outlets) they run slower than when I only run one.

Yes, especially for re length of track/multiple. I’d have multiple connections from the power feed to the track for this distance and each loco will draw power reducing the amount for others. Do you have all six outlets connected to the track? Btw, 70ft of track is a great size! What are you building, would love to know more.

Hi. I am about to build a very large model railway in a room 28 ft by 18 ft non dcc. What is the rule regarding power feeds. How many should I apply and do I wire them in series like a xmas tree or feed them back separately to the transformer

That sounds great, you’ll be able to do create a wonderful layout in that amount of space. Re power, you’ll need a controller and feed for each section you want to run different trains on or will it be one long section or are you asking how you boost the power?

Hi Andy
Basically yes. I am worried about loss of power if I have such a large oval circuit. On a small oval circuit one power clip to the track would be fine. However on such a large expanse of track I am questioning if I need to put several feeds from the transformer say every 1 mtr in order that the power is not lost further down the track. If so do I feed each wire to the next power clip a bit like a Christmas tree or would I feed each wire directly from the power clip straight back to the transformer. This would obviously result in a lot of wiring and what would happen when it got back to the transformer. Would I feed them to some sort of block and then have two wires from the block directly in to the transformer.
Thanks

Ah, got you now! You’re right to think you could do with extra feeder wires.

I’d use connector block on the main feed wire with wires either soldered to the track or attached via power clips connecting into this.

Alternatively, look up Hornby link wires; essentially these daisy chain one set of track connectors to another. Even if you’re not using Hornby the concept will be the same. There’s a good video showing these in use here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iw4foG_nBCU

Take a look from 2 minutes, 20 secs in. Using these with longer wires between the clips should do the trick.

I’ve just started to build a model railway exactly the same size. I saw the Everard U tube clips and I copied the same connectivity. He stripped a roll of household building wire and laid the positive and the negative wire under the layout board following the track above. I powered each track 4 times by putting “droppers” in a 150 foot run connecting to the said household building wire. “Droppers” are short lengths of thin wire ,red live blue negative, soldered to the track through a small drilled hole close to the track and clipped on to the household wire at the other end. I’m running in my track after ballasting and I’ve had no problems so far. I’m running 9 trains with sound all at once. My track is Remote controlled DCC. Hope this helps.

Hi hope somebody can help.I have 4 separate tracks approx. 32ft.Would you advise that I have more power connectors to the track as at the moment when the engines move away from the one connector they slow down.Any info would be much appreciated as I have just got into model railways Thanks Derek

Hi Pat, Have you attached power to the extension. Power across points is often problematic. Run power lines to the rails both sides of the points and it should be fine. Get back to me if you still have problems. Andy

Hello, wonder if you can help me. Have just bought my son his first Hornby train set. He has a oo gauge pendollino and the Eurostar. The gentleman in the model rail shop advised I buy an older controller as the ones that come with the kit apparently aren’t very good so I purchased an R965. Once it was all connected I switched it on but it has no speed control, only fast, so the trains derail. I took it back to the shop, they tested it and it was fine but they gave me another one anyway but again it only has one speed, fast!! Could this have anything to do with the track. The man in the shop (who is very experienced) said he didn’t know why this was happening. Any help would be appreciated. Many thanks.

Hi Peter, it’s obviously difficult to diagnose from a distance but my suggestion would be with the R965. This isn’t an unknown problem with these controllers (see this discussion on Hornby’s own forum discussing exactly this problem with the two of the very same controller: http://www.hornby.com/uk-en/forum/problem-with-hornby-controller-r965/?p=1 ) and I’m surprised the shop recommended this model. Ask for a replacement or alternatively a Guagemaster controller. With a good controller your son should really enjoy the Pendolino. Andy

Hi Andy, thanks so much for your quick response. Glad to hear that this problem isn’t unknown on the R965. Will buy a gaugemaster controller in the next day or so and hopefully my son (and me) can enjoy his train set. Many thanks.

Hi Nick, If it was my unit I’d try a weak solution of vinegar and salt and see how that goes (test it first if you can). Just a heads up though, hopefully the green “oxidisation” is a just a thin surface layer but if it’s severe it could be deep and you could end up removing a a good chunk of the metal that the unit is made from in the process so tread carefully. Also, depending on the base metal it might discolour in the process, again, test it first. Andy

I just bought a Marklin Start Up Starter Set 29173 in order to put it around the Christmas Tree. Unfortunately if no other commands are sent within 3 minutes of the last command, the base station shuts off the voltage in the track for safety reasons as per manual…..Is that true??? I must be on top to push every three minutes the IR Control in order locomotive to keep going??There is no chance to programme loco to run continuously? Thanks.

Hi, that is the case with the Marklin and while perhaps understandable for safety reasons it’s also very frustrating in what is otherwise a nice starter HO starter set. I’m not aware of a way to over-ride this, perhaps another reader can chime in with an answer. Andy

If I knew that, I wouldnt bought this firm, Maybe other firms such us ROCO, PICO, ESU, SUDEXPRESS, BRAWA,Liliput etc etc dosent have such kind of restrictions…!
If you know a model that doesnt stops 🙂 please let me know.
My best wishes from Greece for a Happy 2017.

Hey Andy, I’ve just started my own Hornby OO gauge train set. I choose the Flying Scotsman train set and have acquired a Hornby Thomas and Percy as well. In regards to my train set, there always seems to be a loss of power around the back straight of my layout with all of my engines and I’m not sure why, and in Regards to my Hornby Percy, after I run him for a while, there is a smokey smell coming from the motor and when not on the rails, he is free-wheeling and I don’t know who to fix this.

Hi Will, nice trains you have there! If the power track connections are at the front of the oval I’d take an educated guess that some of the track joints are flaky and the power isn’t making its way to the rear of the oval hence the problem you’re seeing. Check all the joints and reconnect them. Alternatively you could get link wires (see my earlier post on these http://modelrailwayengineer.com/how-to-connect-additional-power-to-a-model-railway-set/) so you have power wires around the circuit and aren’t so reliant on the joints carrying the electricity to all sections.

Was the Hornby Percy new or second hand? Burning smells are usually a bad sign but uncommon in new locos?

Hi David, it could be a number of things. Is it old or new? I recently got a Dapol Terrier and it died after just a running just a few inches. If that’s the case, return it to the dealer alternatively Dapol also offer good warranty on their engines, give them a call. Let me know if it’s an older unit and I’ll be happy to suggest some options. Andy

Hi Andy
I have a OO u shaped layout 6x6x6 2feet wide layout In your opinion,which is the best controller to use,it is of single track.
Thank you
Rick Maddock
My email is. [email protected] btinternet.com

hi have just put train track together to try an intercity train engine and carriages – the small british railways tender goes fine but the intercity front carriage will not – do they have motor or something in or is it controlled by the track – a complete novice sorry for what seems a silly question
kind regards
chris

Hi Christine, was the track supplied with the trains as part of a set with the trains or acquired separately? Model railway track curves are available in different radiuses and longer rolling stock (such as carriages) will struggle on the tightest radiuses. If you got all the track and trains as a set they should work together so it maybe a different problem but if you got them separately this is most likely the cause and you’ll need larger radius curves for the longer rolling stock, look for ‘radius 2 and 3’ curves. Let me know and I’ll try to point you in the right direction. Andy